Tenorio: Bike paths become backcountry area for XC skiers

The snow kept on falling … and the skiers kept on coming.Wednesday was a good day to go cross country skiing, thanks to the snowfall that dumped 10 inches of the white stuff on the Boston area. And many people – I counted 13, including yours truly – took Old Man Winter up on his offer of a backcountry trip not far from their own backyards.The first sign that I would have company skiing on the North Cambridge bike path came in the form of an inquisitive black dog who came running my way as I snapped on my skis. His owner, a fellow skier, called him back. I finished putting on my skis and went off in their direction.Over the course of the trip to Spy Pond in Arlington, I saw other people skiing in the opposite direction. They all seemed cheerful, thanks to the falling snow that transformed concrete bike paths into smooth ski trails. I saw a few skiers more than once … the fellow with his dog on their way back (?Get your skiing while you can,” I think he said) and a woman who was also skiing with her dog (attired in an orange winter coat). Seeing these folks out with their four-footed friends, I felt a bit of regret leaving our Westie, Daisy, on the sofa.There were a few couples, but for the most part this was a solitary pastime. It also seemed that there were almost equal numbers of men and women skiing. There were other people out, too … several intrepid runners, some walkers and a mother pulling her child in a toboggan.If you hit the trails on a day when others are out, you might even run into someone you know. Skiing beside the Alewife Brook on the way back, I bumped into an old college friend, who was skiing in the opposite direction. We caught up, and talked about some of the places we?ve skied – including Great Brook Farm in Carlisle.Skiers were still out a few hours later, as I was heading toward the Alewife MBTA station. I counted four, including one couple. One person had on a visor, which is a good idea; snow kept watering up my glasses. Another brought a water bottle. You can definitely work up a sweat while making tracks.Overall, it was a beautiful day to go skiing and I?m glad so many people took advantage of it!EXTRA TRACKS: If you?re looking for a nice ski-cation, my girlfriend Laura and I recently went to Saratoga Springs, NY, where we did a candlelight ski in Saratoga State Park. The event, held on a 1-mile loop on a starry night, was also open to snowshoers. … Good luck to the US Olympic cross country ski team in Sochi! Its 14 nominated members include five New Englanders: Concord, NH native Kris Freeman and four Vermonters: Andy Newell (Shaftsbury), Sophie Caldwell (Peru), Ida Sargent (Orleans) and Liz Stephen (East Montpelier).Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected]